Two news items and a very intriguing blog post highlight the Thursday morning developments as the Aug. 1 referendum for a new arena for Nassau County approaches.

1. In a recent interview with Point Blank, Democratic legislator Kevan Abrahams said his vote would be swayed greatly after he learned what the county’s Office of Independent Review thought of the deal. Well, Mr. Abrahams and the rest of us have learned that the O.I.R. has said the new arena could cost taxpayers all of $13.80 a year. This is good news for proponents of the deal.

2. We tweeted for 12 hours on Wednesday about #morecowbell, and now it’s official. Blue Oyster Cult, the Long Island band who once headlined shows at the Coliseum, will be the featured guests when the Islanders host a Vote Yes rally in the Coliseum lot on Wednesday, July 27 beginning at 4:00 pm. Speakers will include Charles Wang, Ed Mangano and the usual union leaders shouting, “Build it now.”

3. Very, very interesting, Miss Strang. Katie Strang, the Islanders’ beat writer for Newsday, rarely writes opinion-filled items – even on her blog. She usually prefers to get all the facts straight and details correct and leave the guessing for others. But on Wednesday night, Strang wrote a blog post about how now is the time for Garth Snow to make his big move. Among the highlights:

“This PR push will undoubtedly continue in the days leading up to the vote, but what else could the Islanders do to energize the fan base and mobilize the troops? Make a move.”

and…

“The Islanders will need to add salary to get to the cap floor regardless, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Fans have been lusting for some action – something, anything – after a quiet-borderline-silent free agency.”

and finally…

“Free concerts are great, but fans want to know this: If they are willing to shell out the money to help build this new arena, will the Islanders reach into their pockets to help build the team?”

Do I know of an imminent Islanders deal as of this very second?

No.

Do I think Katie Strang knows that the Islanders are working on a hockey move?

Yeah, I do.

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[…] ISLANDERS POINT BLANK: Chris Botta commented on Strang’s blog post, noting it’s unusual for her to make such a suggestion, leaving him to muse if perhaps Strang knows that the Islanders are working on a deal. […]